O&R Ramps up Emergency Response as Storms Approach

O&R has declared a company-wide Storm Watch in anticipation of significant isolated thunderstorm activity across portions of the region throughout the rest of the afternoon and into the evening.

The latest forecast calls for isolated thunderstorms featuring heavy downpours, strong wind gusts, frequent lightning and possibly hail. Because this regional storm activity increases the potential for power line damage and electric service interruptions, O&R is holding over its dayshift Company, line contractor and tree contractor crews to carry out the company's Emergency Response Plan to make repairs and restore electric service as needed. There are several ways customers can report outages and check service restoration status: * Go to www.oru.com from any computer or web-enabled mobile device; * Use the [O&R mobile app] (http://www.oru.com/myenergyandsafety/storms/whenstormsstrike/mobileoutagereporting.html) from your iPhone, iPad or Android device; * [Text] (http://www.oru.com/myenergyandsafety/storms/whenstormsstrike/mobileoutagereporting.html) “OUT” to 69678 (myORU); or * Call Customer Assistance at 1-877-434-4100 Go to www.oru.com/mobileconnect to learn more about our mobile communication options. To help its customers prepare to weather a storm, O&R offers these tips: * For safety's sake, don't touch or approach any downed wire. Assume it is energized and dangerous. Call O&R immediately toll-free 1-877-434-4100. Depending on the situation, you may also want to call your local police to divert traffic until an O&R crew arrives. * Maintain a distance of at least 50 feet from downed wires and anything they are in contact with including puddles of water and fences. Supervise your children so that they are not in the vicinity and keep pets on a leash or otherwise secure. * If a fallen wire is draped over a car, do not approach the car and make rescue attempts. Remain a safe distance away, and try to keep the occupant of the vehicle calm. If possible, emergency personnel should handle the situation. * Have emergency equipment within reach — portable radio, flashlights, spare batteries, first aid kit, cell phone and important medications. Keep O&R’s toll-free number 1-877-434-4100 near the phone to report power outages. * If you experience a power outage, don't assume that O&R automatically knows about it or that someone else will report it. To be sure the outage is reported, please call O&R toll-free at 1-877-434-4100 to let O&R know what happened. The more information you can provide, the more O&R can help you. * Remember: if the base station of your cordless phone plugs into the wall, your phone will be unusable during a power outage. For more information, visit O&R's Storm Center at www.oru.com. News Media contact: Mike Donovan (845) 577-2430